The decision by the Sierra Leone government to allow the British ex-mercenary outit Diamond Works/

The decision by the Sierra Leone government to allow the British ex-mercenary outit Diamond Works/ Branch Energy back into the country to exploit the Koidu diamond field (see Kimberlite Mining Threatens Peace and Security in Kono, Sierra Leone) has aroused widespread anger and dismay. Even the World Bank cannot support the current project.

The latest newsletter of the country's National Movement for Justice and Development sets out the background and current situation in detail.

Can diamonds be a curse forever?

EDITORIAL (Newsletter of the National Movement for Justice and Development, Sierra Leone, March 1994)

THE FIRST DIAMOND was discovered in Sierra Leone in 1930. And since then diamonds have proven to be the nation's greatest asset until the early 1970's when they slumped into a liability for the country. In fact, some people see diamonds, and rightly so, as a big curse to the people of Sierra Leone. This school of thought argues that diamonds are not only at the heart of our current misery, but are also central to the economy of the 11-year brutal civil conflict which plundered and ravaged every part of the country.

THE QUESTION IS why should diamonds be a curse to Sierra Leone, and not a blessing as is the case in countries like Botswana, Namibia and South Africa? This question should continuously exercise the minds of every true and patriotic Sierra Leonean as long as the status quo exists.

Ordinarily, the problems denying Sierra Leoneans maximum benefit from their God-given wealth are not far fetched: corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, corporate irresponsibility, smuggling, foreign domination of the industry and non-compliance with mining policies, among many others. The root causes of the above can partly be traced to the fact that those who are charged with the responsibility of enforcing policies are ill-equipped, poorly motivated and therefore can easily be manipulated and corrupted by big corporate entities and the very politicians who have a moral obligation and a constitutional responsibility to make sure that their people get the best of what is theirs at all times.

THE LONG YEARS of exclusion of indigenes from the decision-making process has also negatively impacted on the overall performance of the industry. The war may be over, and combating the scourge of conflict diamonds may have also seen significant progress. But the destabilizing potentials of unregulated diamond mining are still looming. The challenge confronting us as a nation should therefore be how to address these problems so that diamond mining will not only be done with a human face, but also in the best interest of all Sierra Leoneans. In this way, we will save ourselves the indignities of having to flee our homes and natural environments to seek safe havens.

IT IS IN this light that the Campaign for Just Mining (CJM) has once again taken the lead in educating and sensitizing mining communities and the wider Sierra Leonean society about the workings/operations of the diamond industry with particular reference to Koidu Holdings Limited, which commenced blasting of the Koidu Kimberlite Pipe on 30 October 2003. The overall objective is to promote transparency and accountability in the industry, promote people's participation and improvement in the living standards of people in especially mining communities.

THIS EDITION OF the Network is therefore focused on operations of the Koidu Kimberlite Project, which has recently become under the spotlight due to the mounting controversies surrounding its operations. The issues addressed here are looked at from different angles (legal, development, human rights, etc) so that the reader can make informed opinion and meaningful contribution to the raging debate on the operations of Koidu Holdings Limited.